Kilospire (super-cool blog run by my good friend, health and wellness researcher and life hacker Trevor Parks, and nutritionist, personal trainer, and triathlon coach Denise Whitson) has joined Eat Yourself Well for the REAL FOOD CHALLENGE, and has posted a great recipe that makes about 16 servings for $20 – feeing a HUGE family, and/or lasting for multiple meals throughout the week!

Ingredients are posted below (I make it without the chicken, but that’s up to you). The full recipe is at the Kilospire Blog

I thought I’d share my version of yesterday’s Food Challenge lunch … which was a little bit of a riff on the recipe for the day. When I went shopping to get wraps, the store had handmade whole wheat pita for half off, so I bought those instead; on this budget you get creative with what’s on sale, for sure!

And, since I keep sprouts growing on my windowsill, I tossed those in for extra flavor, crunch, nutrition, and beauty. It was SO simple and delicious – I will do this again and again anytime I need to grab a quick, simple lunch that’s also healthy!

Ingredients
Gluten-free or Whole Wheat Pita
Organic Hummus (homemade or store-bought, any type)
Sunflower sprouts (or any other greens or veggies you have on hand)
Turmeric
Black pepper

Instructions

Cut the pita in half and spread hummus on both inside surfaces. Toss sprouts into the pocket, sprinkle with turmeric and black pepper (or any other spices you like), and eat!

Turmeric intensifies the yellow of the eggs, adds just a hint of flavor, and a huge health benefit! Be sure to add fresh ground pepper at the end, to dramatically increase absorption of the turmeric.

In a small bowl, add turmeric to eggs and mix until blended. Melt coconut oil in pan over medium-low heat, gently add the eggs and stir until no longer runny, but still soft. Top with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Wash potatoes and prick each a couple of times with a fork. Place in oven and start timer for one hour.

Prepare kale (if needed- or use bagged pre-cut kale) by cutting into bite-sized chunks. In large frying pan, warm olive oil over medium heat, and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft and the garlic is fragrant. Add kale, water, turmeric and salt, and continue stirring until kale is softened (mix should still be slightly soupy).

Open the potatoes and spoon the cooked kale into each. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and serve.

2. Toss cauliflower with half of the olive oil, and season with salt. Spread on large cookie sheet covered with foil, and bake until cauliflower is slightly tender and a little browned (12-15 minutes).

Turmeric intensifies the yellow of the eggs, adds just a hint of flavor, and a huge health benefit! Be sure to add fresh ground pepper at the end, to dramatically increase absorption of the turmeric.

In a small bowl, add turmeric to eggs and mix until blended. Melt coconut oil in pan over medium-low heat, gently add the eggs and stir until no longer runny, but still soft. Top with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a bowl toss squash, about 1 tbsp oil, and a bit of salt and pepper,until coated. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil if desired for ease of cleaning). Roast, turning squash every 10 minutes, until tender, 30–35 minutes.

Spread each tortilla with nut butter, spreading fairly evenly but not going all the way to the edge. Place a banana at one end, add a bit of honey if you like, and roll the tortilla around it. Cut in half if serving immediately, or leave whole if carrying to work or school.

1. Place 2.5 cups cold water, 1 cups freekeh, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tbs. olive oil (optional) in a large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Cover the saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Lower heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes if cooking cracked freekeh, and 40-45 minutes for whole freekeh.
2. Combine the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dijon and nutritional yeast in a food processor, and puree. Add the chia seeds, stir, and let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad so the chia seeds have time to expand.
3. Toss kale, cooked farro, pumpkin seeds, and apple together in a large bowl. Serve with lemon and chia dressing.

1. Combine all of the ingredients, reserving half of the corn, in a large pot; and simmer for at least 30 minutes or until sweet potato is soft, stirring occasionally. Add water if mixture becomes too thick. Adjust salt/pepper as needed.

Cook oats per directions on package – usually 1/4 cup per cup of water for steel-cut oats. When nearly ready, stir in apple pieces and cinnamon, and continue cooking for an extra few minutes to let the apple flavors pull together.

Beat together the eggs, herbs, and turmeric in a small bowl, set aside.

In an oven and stove-safe pan, cook the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat, until softened. Remove from heat and add vegetables in layers: spinach first, then pepper strips, then fan the zucchini over all. Last, pour in the egg mixture, “lift” veggies as needed to help the egg get down into the layers.

Bake frittata in the oven until set and lightly browned. Do not overcook – it will continue to set as it cools. Serve warm.

Welcome to the week! Can’t wait to hear about your experiences – please post on the Eat Yourself Well Facebook page, or below, to let us know how your family is doing. Would LOVE to see your food pics!

Note for today: there are three mornings this week that start with oatmeal. To save time, make a big pot this morning, then pull out the servings for the next days before adding the pumpkin puree. Refrigerate, then warm on the stove or in the microwave on later days.

Cook oats per directions on package – usually 1/4 cup per cup of water for steel-cut oats. When nearly ready, stir in pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices, and continue cooking for an extra few minutes to let the pumpkin flavors pull together.

Soak dried beans overnight in plenty of water – at least 3 inches over the surface of the dried beans. Drain, put them in a pot, and cover them with fresh water by 1-inch. Bring them to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until they are tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Put the beans in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, cumin, garlic, tahini paste, and salt and pepper, to taste. Turn the processor on and slowly pour in the olive oil. Process until smooth and thick.

Best if made ahead and refrigerated to let flavors combine. Serve with veggies.

Cook quinoa according to package directions. While it is cooking, heat 1 tbsp of oil in another saucepan over medium heat. Pour minced onion into the saucepan and saute for a few minutes till it begins to turn brown. Add the minced garlic and let it saute for 1-2 minutes longer till aromatic.

Add the black beans, 1/2 cup water, 2 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro, chili powder and cayenne pepper to the onion mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Let the beans simmer for 15 minutes till the liquid is mostly evaporated. Season with salt to taste.

When the quinoa is cooked, remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Use the fork to mix in 2 tbsp of chopped cilantro and 2 tbsp lime juice. Season with salt to taste.

Assemble bowls in this order: cilantro-lime quinoa on bottom, then a layer of lettuce, then the beans on top. Sprinkle with small amount of cheese, dollop of yogurt, and tomato, plus hot sauce as desired.

OK, we’re just a couple of days away from the start of the REAL FOOD Challenge! As promised, I’ve worked out a shopping list for a week of meals that will feed REAL FOOD to 4 people for 7 days, for under $100. You won’t find a lot of frills in here, but you also won’t find processed, packaged fake foods.

You’ll note that I made some assumptions (Pantry items) that you have some spices on hand, and some olive or coconut oil. Spices can be mixed/matched, so if you don’t have one thing, feel free to sub your favorite in its place. And if you’re missing something entirely, I left a few dollars to cover it. If you don’t need to buy anything else, use those few dollars for something special just for you – an avocado, a bit of dark chocolate, or whatever makes your heart sing.

The menu is pasted below, and the recipes will be coming shortly, in the next post – but first, here’s the link to your shopping list for the week: REAL FOOD Challenge Shopping List

Note: Vegetable pricing may vary widely in your area – I used the current USDA numbers as a reference to compile this. Feel free to sub in similar items – acorn squash for butternut, etc. – if they are on sale and less expensive.